Clubs NSW drops lawsuit against Andrew Wilkie MP

INDEPENDENT MP Andrew Wilkie has hit out at Clubs NSW after the industry body dropped legal action against him yesterday.

The peak representational body for the NSW club industry was suing Mr Wilkie and the ABC over a story published on the gambling industry.

In the story, Mr Wilkie commented on claims by former Labor MP Peter Garrett about an alleged cash payment from Clubs NSW - a claim later retracted by Mr Garrett after Clubs NSW rejected it had ever attempted to give him an envelope of cash or a cheque.

The association's case against Mr Wilkie was dismissed with consent yesterday in the Supreme Court.

The case against the ABC continues.

Mr Wilkie said there was "never any basis" for Club NSW's intention to sue him.

He said the case was a "remarkable move" against him that had ultimately backfired for the clubs.

"Although the action against me has been dismissed, the substantive matter, that former Labor minister Peter Garrett claimed repeatedly but then retracted a claim he was offered an envelope full of cash by someone in the poker machine industry after he was elected to Parliament, is still to be addressed," he said.

"I have referred this matter to a number of government agencies, so hopefully we will eventually get to the bottom of it."